High-pressure diffuser



Aug. 31, 1954 P. A. ARGENTIERI HIGH-PRESSURE DIFFUSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1950 INVENTOR. PETER A- ARC ENT\ER\ A TTOR NE Y.

Aug. 31, 1954 P. A. ARGENTIERI HIGH-PRESSURE DIFFUSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1950 v QQQQR INVENTOR. PET -K A- ARGENTIERI QQI A TTOR NE Y.

Patented Aug. 31, 1954 HIGH-PRESSURE DIFFUSER Peter A. Argentieri, Tuckahoe, N. Y., assignor to Connor Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 22, 1950, Serial No. 186,154

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in an air outlet device or diffuser for air conditioning systems, an example of such device being found in co-pending application Serial No. 123,927, filed October 27th, 1949, now Patent No. 2,644,389, July 7, 1953.

As pointed out in said application, it is desirable to provide, in devices of this character, and particularly when the air ducts employed are of relatively small diameter, means by which noise conditions are materially reduced and to an extent where the noise is relatively negligible.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved air outlet device of the character mentioned which is constructed and arranged in such a manner as to minimize the generation of objectionable noises upon the discharge of air therethrough. A further object of the invention is the provision of an outlet device of the above-mentioned character having an inexpensive and readily-adjustable throttling means operating to prevent the formation of high-velocity jets of large mass within the device and consequently minimizing vortex and impingement noises.

It is another object of the device to provide an outlet device of two stages, into the first of which the air will flow in an axial direction, passing through the stage in a circumferential manner, and passing through said stage will have its velocity raised and lowered with a resultant loss in static pressure and reduction in noise. After passing through this first stage, the air continues on through a second stage, also moving therethrough in a circumferential manner, the velocity being again increased and decreased with a resultant loss in static pressure. In the novel construction to be described, throttling means is provided, the adjustment thereof for both stages being performed simultaneously by rotative movement of a single shaft.

With the objects above set forth, in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the inventionis disclosed, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an air outlet device embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the in- 2 stallation of the outlet and portion of the air duct in a building.

Fig. 5 is a view, partl in section, of the outlet, with a diffuser attached, and Fig. 6 is a view looking at the underside of the structure of Fig. 5 but with the diffuser removed.

An efficient air outlet device should be provided with throttling or controlling means for the air volume, and the present invention, and in the first stage through which the air passes, operates to prevent the formation of high velocity jets of large mass within the outlet device by having the air flow from the inlet duct opening into a plenum defined by a perforated cylinder within which a closure disc or diaphragm is axially adjustable for variable throttling effects. Secured to the disc or diaphragm and thus adjustable therewith is an inner perforated sleeve located concentrically to the perforated cylinder and of substantially less diameter than the same. This arrangement of concentric, perforated, cylinders or sleeves provides uniformity of flow, breaks the air stream down into a multiplicity of streams having small mass, and before the merger of the streams, which takes place in a second stage, there is a rapid reduction in velocity.

Referring to the drawings, it indicates the connection tube defining the inlet of the device said tube It being connected to the air duct 8 by any conventional means. The air distributing duct 8 in the conventional installation, is generally located between the walls or in a ceiling space such as is indicated at H in Fig. 4. The housing or casing of the first stage of the air outlet device is indicated at E2 and the same may be secured to the air distributing duct it by means of a ring I 3 to which it may be attached by screws, bolts or other equivalent fastening elements. The housing or casing i2 in the form shown is of substantially rectangular shape, and the inner surfaces of its walls receive a layer of sound absorbing material 14 to minimize noise and vibration due to air impact.

A perforated cylinder !5 having a plurality of perforations It, thus rendering the entire area of the cylinder foraminous, is fixedly mounted within the housing [2 and located concentrically to and in axial alignment with the air duct H3. Said cylinder l5 may be secured in position by any desired means, such as by fastening elements entering through its radial flange ii and attaching it to the end wall it of the housing 12.

Mounted for adjustment within the cylinder I5 is a closure disc or diaphragm 19 which is axially slidable within the cylinder to produce material 33.

the desired throttling efiect without generating high velocity solid streams and resultant erratic flow within the device. Diaphragm l9 closely, but slidably fits within the cylinder and is provided on one of its faces with sound absorbing material 2% which is also located within the closed end of a sleeve 2!. Carried by the disc or diaphragm" f9 is" the perforatedsleev'e or small diameter'c'yliiider 2! provided with perforations 22 throughout its area so that it is in fact foraminous in the manner of the cylinder I5. The sleeve 21 is of less diameter than the cylinder i5 so that it is spaced from the walls of the latter cylinder thus providing an"annular chalmber between the sleeve and cylinder, the "length of said chamber being determined by the adjusted position of the throttling disc F9.

The sleeve 2! is telescopic within the inlet opening it as clearly seen in Fig. and the adjustment of the disc or' diaphragm l9, carrying the sleeve 2i, is had byrotativemovernentof a rod or shaft 23 providedwith a screw threat-did threadably received in the internal'thread of a boss or nut 25 attached to the disc'or'diaphragm it. The rod is guided by a supporting'sleev'e 26 supported by the housing and is maintained against axial shift by the cotter pinsl'l and 28 while being readily manually rotatable by means of the knoblifi secured on its end on the outside of the housing or casing of-the outlet device.

As will be noted from the arrows shown in Fig. l, the air forced throug-hthe duct Swill enter through inlet It and then the perforated sleeve 2! and pass through the holes'ZZ thereof and enter theannularspac'e 'betweensaid sleeve and the perforated cylinder i5 to then flow laterally out through the holes i-B'to'enter the interior of the housing or casing i2.

The second stage of the outletdevice includes a housing extension 30 attached to and forming a substantial continuation of the housing 12. Said second stage includes a devious or sinuous air passage 3i provided in its wall with a plurality of perforations 32, so that the wall or said passage is in fact foraminous. fSaid foraminous wall has its outer surface covered by sound absorbing The outlet for the passage 3! is indicated at 3G and the passage and said outlet is contracted or of slot-like formation as best seen in Fig. '3. the forward end wall of the housing extension 36, said end wall being covered on its inner face by the sound absorbing materialBB over which is mounted a perforated or foraminous plate 3?.

From the foregoing, the operation of thedevice will be clear. As previously stated air entering through the duct 8 will pass'through inlet It and then pass laterally through the holes in the concentric cylindersZi and It 'and'e'nter the interior of the chamber defined by the housing or casing i2 as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The air will then enter the second stage, namely; the bafile passage 3! of contracted devious or sinuous form, to pass out through the outlet opening 34.

After the dampering and baffling stages have been passed as above explained, the air may be caused to emanate from any'oneof various devices whichmight be placed at the outlet opening to introduce theair in various Ways 34, in order into the occupied area. An example of one arrangement of this kind is seen in Figs- 5 and 6.

Coupled or attached to the end of the-housing extension 39' is an elbow38 lined "withsound absorbing material39 and having anoutlet opening 40 in which a sleeve- 4! is mounted. Fitted Be1OW the Outlet M lsdOCat'ed 4 on the sleeve M is the neck 42 of a frustrdconical diffuser casing is which extends from its neck 42 and engages the under surface of the ceiling M. The diffuser is preferably provided with a shoulder 45 against which the air stream will impinge so as to be slightly deflected thereby, and thus the outward flow of the current will be spaced from "the ceiling, and ceiling smudge prevented.

The deflector plate is shown at 46 and is flatly conical and is adjustably attached to the diffuser casing ifi' by the bolts ll by means. of which it may be raised or lowered for adjustment in the anownman er, To enable the throttling disc liltobe-adjuSted'with an arrangement of the character just described, the adjusting rod 23 is extended by means of a flexible shaft 58 which has one end coupled at 9 to the end of the rod 23 and its other end connected at 56 to a pin 5! rotatively mounted -in the center of the defiector plate'dfi, kriob'52 is secured on the pin 5| on-the outer side 'of-plate it in order to turn the pin, the flexible shaft and the rod 23 to thus adjust the throttling disc i9 andsecure the required control or air flow. The flexible shaft may be guided through a spider 55 mounted on the sleeve Ell.

By the arrangements herein described, an effective control of noise is-attained and without materially'harnperingthe air flow.

Having described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto,'but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An air outlet device for connection to the opening 'ofan air-duct'comprising, a casing havinginlet and outlet openings, 'a sleeve slidable frictionally within said inlet opening'an'd in said air duct; said sleeve being. provided with aseries of perforations over theentire air distributing area ofthe length of the walls of" the sleeve, a

cylinder within said casing surrounding the sleeve and in spaced relationship thereto, the walls of 'saidcylizider having a series of perforations disposed over the entire area thereof, a throttling disk closing the inner end of said sleeve and fixed thereto, said throttling disk being slidable' friotionallywithin said cylinder whereby the cross-sectional areas of said cylinder and said sleeve available for'passage of air may be varied simultaneously.

2. Anair outlet device for connection to the opening of an-air duct comprising, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a perforated sleeve located in the inlet opening and adjustable telescopicallyand axially therethroug'h, a perforated cylinder in the casingand disposed around the adjustable sleeve and spaced therefrom, said cylinder being of an external shape different from the internal shape of the casing whereby spacing is provided between the cylinder and the inte- 'for the length of the cylinder simultaneously with axial movement of the sleeve, said simultaneous adjustznentof the damper and the sleeve to which it is attached acting to simultaneously vary the cross-sectional area of the cylinder and sleeve available for the passage of air, and means operable externally of the casing for adjusting the damper.

3. An air outlet device for connection to the opening of an air duct comprising, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a sleeve slidable within one of said openings, said sleeve being p ovided with a series of perforations over the air-distributing area of the walls of the sleeve, a cylinder within said casing surroundin the sleeve and in spaced relation thereto, the walls of the cylinder being provided with a series of perforations disposed over the air-distributing area thereof, a throttling disk closing one end of said sleeve and fixed thereto, said throttling disk being slidable within said cylinder to define the air-distributing area thereof, whereby the cross-sectional area of said cylinder and said sleeve available for passage of air may be varied simultaneously.

4. An outlet device for connection to the opening of an air duct comprising, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a sleeve slidable within one or said openings, said sleeve being provided with a series of perforations over the air-distributin area of the walls of the sleeve, a cylinder within said casing surrounding the sleeve and in spaced relation thereto, the walls or the cylinder being provided with a series of perforations disposed over the air-distributing area thereof, a throttling disk closing one end of said sleeve and fixed thereto, said throttling disk being slidable within said cylinder to define the air-distributing area thereof, whereby the cross-sectional area of said cylinder and said sleeve available for passage of air may be varied simultaneously, an expansion and silencing chamber located at the outlet of the casing for cooperating with the cylinder, sleeve and disk in reducing noise created because of throttling effect secured by adjustment of said sleeve and disk attached thereto, said chamber having a sinuous passage through which the air flow passes, said passage being lined with a sound-deadening material, which material extends into and lines the interior of the casing around the cylinder therein.

5. A device for controlling the flow of air from an air duct comprising, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a perforated cylinder located at the inlet opening, a sound-deadening material lining the casing around the cylinder, a damper in the form of a flat disk fitting the interior of the cylinder, said damper being adjustable axially through the cylinder for the length of the cylinder, said adjustment of the damper acting to vary the cross-sectional area of the cylinder available for the passage of air, an expansion and silencing chamber located at the outlet of the casing, the sound-deadening material being extended through said chamber for co-operating with the lined casing and perforated cylinder therein to reduce noise created because of the throttling eilect secured by the adjustment of the damper, said chamber having a sinuous passage through which the air flow passes.

6. A device for controlling the flow of air from an air duct comprising, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a perforated cylinder located at the inlet opening, said cylinder being surrounded by sound-deadening material lining the interior of the casing, a damper in the form of a disk fitting the interior of the cylinder, said damper being adjustable axially through the cylinder, means located exteriorly of the cylinder for adjusting the damper, said adjustment of the damper acting to vary the cross-sectional area of the cylinder available for the passage of air, an expansion and silencing chamber located at the outlet of the casing, said chamber being also lined with the sound-deadening material for co-operating with the cylinder and the lined casing in reducing noise created because of the throttling eiiect secured by the adjustment of the damper, said chamber having a sinuous passage through which the air flow passes, the passage being of a different cross-sectional shape from the cross-sectional shape of the cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 866,762 Wilson Sept. 24, 1907 1,341,363 Fiala May 25, 1920 1,543,642 Whitten June 23, 1925 1,802,897 Holden et a1 Apr. 28, 1931 1,919,856 McGeorge July 25, 1933 1,921,468 Jack Aug. 8, 1933 2,129,958 Podolsky Sept. 13, 1938 2,158,737 Wunsch May 16, 1939 2,211,646 Cole Aug. 13, 1940 2,238,146 Yavitch Apr. 15, 1941 2,269,802 Wilson Jan. 13, 1942 2,373,741 Caldwell Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185,917 Germany 1907 

